They found their thrills in the Phelps sky

Members of the Sky Rovers RC Flying Club are passionate about their handcrafted, radio-controlled aircraft, and they’re proving why, to the applause of hundreds attending this weekend’s 2017 Sky Rovers Annual Airshow on McBurney Road.

Is it the mesmerizing buzz of the engines that draws people in? Or the graceful spins, loops, snap rolls, stall turns and tailslides of the model aircraft? Or could it be the pristine craftsmanship of each of the $150 to $5,000 models?

Everyone loves the hobby — or as some call it, sport — for different reasons. Take Dave Reid, who has been a member of Sky Rovers for the last 46 years.

“Everybody thinks the club is just flying airplanes,” said Reid. “But it’s the camaraderie, the fellowship. It’s just a lot of fun.”

And it’s relatively inexpensive, he said.

“We’re competitively priced with other hobbies,” said Reid. “If you’re a bass fisherman or an active golfer, you’re going to have a lot more money tied up. With us, if we spend money on something, it can be used over and over again. And even if we crash an aircraft, you can take the parts out, repair them and use them over again.”